Bible Strands
Hosea 5:8
Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses the northern tribes of Israel, specifically naming Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven, while commanding the tribe of Benjamin to advance. This proclamation occurs amid covenant unfaithfulness where religious observance and land are under active divine judgment.
The words — תִּקְעוּ (tik.'U) means "blow" and שׁוֹפָר (sho.Far) means "ram’s horn," forming the direct command to sound a military or prophetic alarm. הָרִיעוּ (ha.Ri.'U) translates to "raise a battle cry," reinforcing the mobilization order.
The thread — The horn-blowing alarm motif reappears in Joel 2:1, which commands sounding the horn in Zion to signal the approaching Day of the Lord. Hosea 9:9 later recalls the corruption of Gibeah to anchor this judgment in remembered historical guilt.
Why it lands — The text explicitly commands the sounding of alarms and the mobilization of tribes to confront imminent judgment. It requires the reader to accept that prophetic warnings function as actionable declarations of accountability, not symbolic poetry.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth–aven, after thee, O Benjamin.
Cross-references
- Hosea 4:15 Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
- Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
- Joel 2:1 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—
- 1 Samuel 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.
- Jeremiah 4:5 Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’
- Judges 5:14 Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
- Isaiah 10:29 They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.
- Hosea 8:1 Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
- Joshua 7:2 Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
- Judges 19:12 But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”